In the medical field, medical professionals often need to administer various fluids to patients. For example, medications are commonly administered to a patient intravenously in fluid form, as opposed to oral administration. Typically, the intravenous fluid administration takes place at periodic intervals over a length of time. To avoid repeated direct injections into the patient, a catheter is often inserted into the patient's vein. The catheter is then left in place with a receiver portion left protruding out of the patient. Thus, only the receiver portion needs to be accessed in order to administer fluid into the patient. This method of fluid administration eliminates the need to repeatedly inject the patient, which is not only painful for the patient, but increases the risk for complications.
To administer the fluid to the patient via the catheter, a fluid source must be accessed. Generally, the fluid is held in a bag or similar container that must somehow be accessed, and then connected to the patient's catheter, usually via a fluid line.
Various types of attachment devices are available to access the bag holding the fluid. Attachment devices for removing fluid from a bag, or injecting fluid into a bag, are well known in the field. In general, they are relatively easy and efficient to use. Typically, such an attachment device includes a housing with connection ports at both ends. One end connects to the administration port of the bag holding the fluid, and the other end connects to a fluid line that eventually delivers the fluid to the patient. The fluid can then travel from the bag, through the attachment device, and through a fluid line to the patient.
While current attachment devices are an improvement over older methods of accessing bags, they are not without their problems. One of the biggest problems with existing attachment devices is that manufacturers of the devices generally make attachment devices that are only compatible with that manufacturer's bags. Thus, existing attachment devices are proprietary, and are not designed to be universal attachment devices.
This is especially troublesome in the medical field, where nurses and doctors often work in emergency situations. In these time-sensitive situations, medical professionals do not have a great deal of time to find an attachment device appropriately configured to be compatible with a particular administration port.
Therefore, there is a strong need for a universal attachment device that will work with a wide range of bags from various manufacturers. This will increase efficiency in the medical field, benefiting both the medical professionals who use the attachment devices and the patients who require an intravenous fluid administration.